Jerusalem – Just a few weeks before, many chareidi rabbonim forbad eating strawberries because they are heavily infested with tiny insects which are impossible to completely remove. The announcement removed the popular delicacy from the table of many frum homes.
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Then the sensational news was published throughout Israel: Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar announced in a shiur that one may eat strawberries after rinsing them in water and removing their leafy tops! The news appeared in Israel’s leading newspaper and even in the chareidi world’s leading VosIzNeias web blog.
Many reported relief upon hearing the lenient psak. Others sideswiped at the poskim who always seem to find a new prohibition to saddle the public with.
But now the Shas party organ reports that Rav Amar’s psak was quoted incorrectly. They asked Rabbi Shlomo Amar for his clarification, and he explained that his shiur had been about worms which are not visible to the eye and had nothing to do with strawberries.
“It never occurred to me, chalila, to dispute the prohibition against eating visible worms!” he says firmly. “To say otherwise is misleading.”
Rav Amar explained, “I was speaking about a recent tshuva I had just written which dealt with worms that are not visible to the eye. I wrote that according to many great poskim of our generation, led by Rav Ovadya Yosef (SHU”T Yecheve Daas 6:47), they are not forbidden. I further was mechadesh that they are not even considered ‘worms’ according to halacha.”
Rav Amar said in the shiur that if, for example, strawberries had such invisible ‘worms’ on them, the strawberries would not be prohibited to eat. Obviously, the strawberries were only mentioned by way of illustration and not as the basis for a chiddush or a psak.
The Chief Rabbi reiterates that as experts have shown, strawberries are infested with worms which are visible to the eye and can be seen without the help of a device. These worms must be avoided, and if it is not possible to clean strawberries of them, then strawberries may not be eaten.
why dont they define the exact size that is usur?
Now everyone that had disgusting comments about the Rabbi must ask him for Mechilla. Next time learn to keep your ignorant comments to yourself!
But if it was reported in all the newspapers how is it possible the he didn’t know? Did you know how much yiddish’sah kinder ate strawberries sins his posak!
Has anyone here seen these insects in US strawberries? I buy the kind packaged in plastic boxes in the refrigerated section at the store. I check every one and have never seen a single insect ever. Is it possible that this is less of an issue here in the US?
So can you eat the strawberries and worms or not?
I don’t see how this clarification changes anything. I eat strawberries, but I am very careful to check them. I soak strawberries in cold soapy water. After a few minutes, I check the water. If I don’t find any bugs, I rinse and scrub them individually. Lastly, I cut the tops off.
Ask mechilah of the Rav.
#1 , every body should find out, how a worm or an insect from strawberry’s look like, than you will know what to look for.
#2: ask your ruv how to clean a strawberry.
Is soaking with Luke soap water enough, or scrubbing the entire strawberry with a tooth brush.
Remember me? I can only say “I told you so”. I don’t believe that anyone who was respectful to the Rav but sided with the Litvishe poskim owe anyone an apoligy. Yes, those who critiqued the asurim and said non-flatering things better do tshuva quick. Also, I don’t believe the people who were not sephardim who ate the berries on the “psak” can blame the Rav. You were shopping for a matir and thought you found it. 5 malkos or 5 chatos per bug. Furthermore, I don’t believe you have the right to rely on a psak from a shiur. You must hear the posek paskin when the case presents itself as a shaalah. So, all you strawberry eaters better start buying up sheep now. As far as those who just wash them off and can’t see it, do you know what you are looking for? I do find it strange that no one told the Rav earlier than this, but he probably has better things to do with his time – like learning.
What comes next? Will there be renewed discussion that NYC tap water might not be kosher due to tiny crustaceans in it(some have already brought up this question).
Will some rabbis say to never eat apples when flesheks, since some apples have wax on them that is made from milk? In the US, all wax put on fruits and vegetables is made with vegetable protein or milk protein, but perhaps in other countries it might be made from protein from animal meat. Will there be a declaration that all vegetables and produce must have a good hashgacha?
What comes next? Will some rabbis say that even plain yogurt with active cultures is not kosher due to the active and living cultures?
I don’t think anyone owes the rav mechila because it still sounded that it was mutar when you cannot see the worms with your naked eye. He really did not change anything now. He still said worms are ossur if seen with your eyes and many hold the food is mutar when cannot be `seen.
I bought beautiful strawberries, took a magnifying glass, a strong light, poked out quite a number of seeds and did not see a thing. Are you sure these are not the bacteria that one would find in your water and air if you took a microscope. I really want to get to the bottom of this. It DOES NOT MAKE SENSE! A number of us seacrched and searched. Black for sure it wasn’t Is it red just like the strawberry?
On such a safek I blend the strawberries to eat with my yogurt, and then you don’t end up eating a kzayis, Does that make sense? Please whoever knows for sure please enlighten us!
Get out your magnifying glass and check the strawberries for bugs, They aren’t visible to the naked eye. Did you hear the latest about corn? I heard corns are also infested with bug in between the kernels. What’s next?
I know that there is Kosher strawberries that come from a greenhouse in Argentina, but they only sell them wholesale…
one place there are definitley bugs is in Rabbi Amars head
You are ALL freaking retards. What are you going to assur next? We can’t drink tap water, we can’t eat fruts or vegetables (unless its Bodek, and you can’t tell me that’s not a scam), I mean what?? Chocolate??? go into ANY Factory and find out how many rodent and insect parts are part and parcel of any chocolate bar run… so what else can’t be eaten?? Really, enough already.. Morons.
thank youVIN
for bringing the truth to us
all sraberries worldwide are Asur.
there was a kol korah
with over 50 Rabbonim
its nirah laynaim
I had seen them many times
Seemingly in the USA there is no problem PROVIDED THEY ARE WASHED ACCORDING TO THE GUIDELINES SET FORTH BY THE OU, cRc. Kof-K, ETC.
“Will there be a declaration that all vegetables and produce must have a good hashgacha?”
They’re already moving in that direction. There’s lots of money to be made with produce hashgachah.
I asked Hisachdos Harabonim and they told me if I take frozen strawberries, cook it and smash them for compote we ARE ALLOWED TO EAT IT….I also asked other Rabonim and they all agreed, to the same thing. So all of you out there make compote! and ENJOY……………….
Just a point of clarification: You have to see the bug moving with the naked eye (of a healthy normal sighted person) for the bug to be assur. Some bugs can be seen, but can’t be seen moving when alive. Those are not a problem.
Someone (who works in Kashrus and was very skeptical of the strawberry issur) told me he was given a batch of strawberries, cleaned them according to his normal practice, and then the person showing this to him took 5 of the strawberries as they were finished, bounced it on a white cloth (not hard a few inches above the cloth on a straight table). He observed small white bugs moving on the cloth after the strawberries were bounced on it.
So for all the skeptics, you have a clear reproducible experiment. Go for it.
HMMM, this is a good tasting strawberry!!!!!YUMMMY!
This is why pirkei avos says “asei lecha rav” – you need to choose a rav and follow his piskei din, without “shopping around.” And it is okay if someone else holds by a different rav. If we would all do this we would not have to argue out our cases like this.
reply 7
yes its not assumtion if you soak the strawberries in soapy water and then rinse them off and cut the top, yes it is completely soaked and cleaned from worms
I just did the test myself. I took one whole pound of fresh dole strawberries, unwashed with the leaves on and bounced them each individually multiple times on a white sheet of paper.
I found one live bug and one dead one which needed squinting to see that it was a bug.
Is this a miut hamotzuy? One bug in a pound?
I will try again after simple rinsing. I doubt I will find much.
Shopping for a heter: The accusation thrown at anyone who refuses to follow the newest Chumra.
Chumra: As if being 100% shomer wasn’t enough, some people decided to make it harder and created a new halacha, but to call it a halacha might get yidden to realize that’s how it’s treated.
How about all this kosher establishment which are closed by the health department for violation of sanitation regulation and where coakroaches are marching in double line
all these chachomim have not mentioned that in order to grow strawberries chemical sprays are used which are carciogenic, more important than the invisible bugs
HI
I have found a short soaking in salt water is great in checking and controlling for bugs.
Tuft Nutritional Journal listed fruits and vegetables which are heavily sprayed with chemical sprays and for which organic is a good choice and the list included strawberries as the most heavily sprayed fruit
Hmmm – well, the CRC doesn’t seem to know they are “assur”. Per the CRC “Strawberries – Fresh strawberries that are smooth and rounded in shape should have the tops cut off and the strawberries should be gently rubbed while rinsed well under a strong stream of water. Strawberries that have an unusual shape and are curved, causing some crevices and overlaps on the surface where small insects may hide, must have the tops removed and then also must be soaked for a short while in a kosher vegetable wash or a soap solution. They then must be rinsed off under a strong stream of water. All frozen without added flavors or colors are acceptable. Canned needs a reliable hashgacha.”